If I Die
by intrajanelle
Summary: Wally finds a note addressed to the team while snooping in Artemis' room that is only to be opened in the event of her death. Naturally, he reads it. Spitfire. Emotional Fluff. One-Shot.


_A/N: I don't know what it is but whenever my teacher is ranting about Aristotle these little drabbles always pop in to my head. Of course this isn't so little, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. Please ignore the ending, I know I skipped the action but I wanted to make it more about Wally and Artemis' feelings for each other than some grande battle between the League and Sportsmaster. I hope the lack of gore doesn't disappoint you._

_Also, the bit about Superboy being Artemis' White Rabbit? It's from the comics, you should read them. I have this whole theory that the reason Artemis was so upset in Secrets wasn't because she liked Superboy but because she felt like he was her White Rabbit, which she does clearly say in the Young Justice comics. So...yeah, that's just me ranting. I'm sorry._

_Please enjoy._

_Disclaimer: I promise you I will never own Young Justice._

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><p><em>If I Die<em>

_By JustJanelle_

Wally West shouldn't have been in Artemis' room. He knew this as he snuck inside, glancing over his shoulder anxiously. He half expected her to appear behind him without warning, the way Robin did, a fact that didn't ease his nerves as he slid the door shut.

She hardly ever went in there, a detail that was evident from the bare exterior of the space. There was hardly anything to suggest that the archer called the cave home besides her backpack leaning precariously against her chair and an assortment of items scattered across the surface of her desk.

Wally took a deep breath. "Get my goggles, get out," he chanted, approaching the desk with a profound sense of purpose, "Goggles, out, goggles, out."

He began his search by sweeping the exterior of the desk. Unfortunately the only things Artemis had left out were a pad of paper, a variety of multicolored pens and a copy of _the Assassin's Daughter_. No goggles, nothing even to propose that she had stashed them here after he had called her a 'heinous witch' earlier in the day.

He growled angrily as he threw open the top drawer. There were three drawers in Artemis' desk and, as Wally soon learned, two of them were empty. Wally slid the bottom drawer open with a determined glare on his normally lighthearted façade.

He almost swore when he discovered practically nothing in the final drawer. Practically nothing meaning no goggles, but there was a thin manila envelope lying there that looked solitary and alone and quite out of place in Artemis' room.

Curiously and with a tad bit of anger Wally snatched the envelope from its confinement and lifted it to his face in order to read who it was addressed to.

Wally almost dropped it upon reading the inscription. It read: _To: The Team (in case I die)_.

Before Wally could tell himself to put the envelope back he heard a familiar snarl echoing down the hallway: "Wally!"

_Artemis_, Wally thought frantically and before his thoughts could fully form he was dashing from the room. The envelope pressed safely against his chest.

* * *

><p>Half a second later Wally was perched at the top of Mt. Justice and the cool afternoon air was swelling around him as he slid his fingers deftly under the flap of the envelope, ripping it open.<p>

_It's okay_, he convinced himself, _I need to read this. It's payback for my goggles. Payback_.

He breathed in deeply, almost nervously as he pulled five neat sheets of paper from the confines of their manila prison. He glanced stiffly down at them, recognizing that they were a series of letters addressed to each member of the team and some other acquaintances, all written in Artemis' precise handwriting. He acknowledged the paper they were written on as being from the notepad that lay on Artemis' desk.

_She wrote these recently_, Wally thought. He didn't know exactly what that was supposed to mean but instead of pondering he took another deep faltering breath and began to read from the beginning:

_Dear M'Gann,_

_ I'm sorry I've been so rude to you. The truth is that I would have loved to really be your Earth sister but, as you probably know by now, I had many reasons why I couldn't become attached to the team. Please keep making cookies for Wally-the idiot wouldn't be able to function without them. Also, I know about you and Superboy. I'm very happy for you two, you guys deserve happiness, but you should tell the rest of the team. Trust them. I know I should have. _

_Your Sister, Artemis_

_Dear Superboy, _

_ You probably didn't know this but you led me to the team that night you were fighting Amazo. You were the first one I saw-my very own White Rabbit-and when I followed you I found the rest of the team fighting that robot. Wally probably would have died if it hadn't been for you—well, he would have died if it hadn't been for _me_ but you helped. Thank you for being my white rabbit, without you I never would have found my Wonderland and you probably don't know what I'm talking about (ask M'gann, she's read _Alice in Wonderland_, I think) but I promise you that you saved my life that night—which is almost ironic now considering that I'm dead. Anyway, take care of M'gann—don't make her cry or I will haunt you, I swear to God._

_Sincerely, Artemis_

Wally's breath hitched in his throat. He had to put the letters down for a moment lest the water that brimmed his eyelids spill over on to his cheeks. He wasn't tearing up because of the fact that he hadn't known Superboy and M'gann were a _thing_—but he was vaguely disappointed that he hadn't put that tidbit together himself—he wasn't even upset because he hadn't realized just how much Superboy meant to Artemis—a fact that bothered him more than it should have—he was tearing up because the wind on the edge of Mt. Justice was aggravating his eyesight. Yes, that was it. He needed to relocate in order to better assess exactly what Artemis was trying to say in these letters.

_I mean, really_, Wally thought a moment later as he lounged in a beach chair three miles down the beach, Mt. Justice looming in the distance behind him, _what does she mean by "I couldn't become attached to the team"? _

Wally straightened the pages carefully and began to read again, his eyes flitting ever so carefully over his shoulder, on the lookout for a pissed off archer that was bound to come after him sooner or later.

_Dear Kaldur,_

_ Thank you for allowing me to join the team. Please don't blame yourself for my death—I know you will—it was bound to happen. I just want you to know that I was never the mole and I have no idea if there really is one. You can't trust _anything_ Sportsmaster says—which I'm sure you realize by now. Anyway, thank you again. You gave me the opportunity to really be a part of something for the first time in my life. You were like an older brother and the team was like my family. I'll never forget you. _

_Sincerely, Artemis_

Wally scrambled to flip to the next page. He was beginning to get anxious. If he had learned anything from the last three notes it was that it almost sounded as if Artemis _knew_ how she was going to die—and that it was going to be soon. Wally scanned the next letter, damn sure that he could find a way to prevent whatever was going to happen to Artemis.

_Dear Robin (aka Dick Grayson),_

_ Surprised? Yes, I knew it was you, Dick. Did you really think I wouldn't figure out who you were when you practically stalk me at school _every day_? Anyway, it's only fair that I know about you when you so clearly know everything about me, you little troll. How is it that you found out just about every detail about my family? Never mind, that's a rhetorical question. I'm dead, I don't even care anymore. As you are probably aware: _He_ got me, but don't worry about it, I'm somewhere better now, I hope, with my luck I'm in Hell. Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for always being there for me whether it was as Robin or Dick Grayson. You're a great friend, kid. Never change. _

_Sincerely, Artemis Crock_

_P.S. Seriously, don't plan some brilliant scheme to bring vengeance down on Sportsmaster. I know you will. Just drop it, it's over now anyway._

_P.P.S. I guess we can laugh about that picture now, huh? I'm sorry I can't be there to join you. Show it to Wally, he'll laugh with you._

_Sportsmaster?_ Wally practically screamed, but his mouth remained firmly closed. His fingers dug in to the edges of the paper almost ripping the notes in half. _Sportsmaster is going to kill Artemis? Why?_

Wally furiously began to read again but the words were blurring on the page running in front of his eyes like inky water as he tried to focus his vision through his sickening rage.

_I just need to relocate_, he thought, and a moment later he was standing on Happy Harbor Pier and people were moseying along the wharf, too preoccupied to even notice that a blur of blue and red had morphed in to a boy who was now leaning against a railing and staring out over the ocean.

He took another deep yet halting breath and attempted to read the next note over again.

_Dear Mom (her name is Paula Crock—whoever is reading this, please get this to her),_

_ I'm sorry that I wasn't always the best daughter. Please don't blame yourself for what happened—you couldn't have known. Take care of yourself. I did what I did to protect you; don't let it be for nothing._

_Love, Artemis_

_Dear Jade (please give this to my mom as well—she'll get it to who needs to read it),_

_ Get out now. I know about you and RA, and that baby deserves to be brought up better than we were. It's not about dad anymore. You have a chance to change now—take it._

_Love, Alice_

_Dear Green Arrow,_

_ Thank you for giving me a chance and training me, especially after what happened with Roy, _especially_ because I'm not really your niece. Just so you know, even though we were never connected by blood you were like the father I should have had and I will forever be grateful to you. Don't blame yourself for what happened to me—I never gave you the chance to understand the situation. You couldn't have known._

_Love, Artemis_

_P.S. Try to mend things with Roy, okay? He's going to be a daddy soon and he'll need all the help he can get. _

Wally almost choked on sea air. Roy was going to be a dad? Wally scanned the note that was addressed to 'Jade' once again and realized that she was probably Artemis' sister and if 'RA' was any indication then the father of her sister's baby was none other than Red Arrow—Roy.

That and Artemis wasn't Green Arrow's niece? Wally felt a migraine coming along as he stared down at the paper in confusion. Hopefully, the last few letters would clear things up a bit.

_Dear Batsy,_

_ Thanks for letting me in to your little club. I know you had your doubts about me, but you also trusted me more than I have ever been trusted and that really meant something to me. Hopefully after my death those doubts you had have been silenced. Tell Red Tornado, Black Canary and the rest of the league that I really appreciated all of their support and confidence. _

_Sincerely, Artemis_

_P.S. I know your Bruce Wayne. Ha, surprised? I hope so, but don't worry; I've taken your secret to my grave, literally. _

_Dear Roy,_

_ Hopefully my death ended your doubts about me. I told you I was a straight shooter (ha-ha get it? A _straight shooter. _Wow, Wally's really rubbing off on me. Scary.). Take care of my sister and the team for me. Or else I'll haunt you to death._

_Sincerely, Artemis_

_Dear Zatanna, _

_ Thanks for trying to be my friend. As you probably have heard by now, I had a lot of secrets, even more than Greta. I'm sorry for never sharing them. Know that our 'Girl's Night Out's' were some of the best Friday nights of my life. I really appreciated that you were willing to kick ass with me and the fact that you would listen if I wanted to tell you about my family made me very happy to call you my friend. _

_Your Friend, Artemis_

_P.S. In case you haven't noticed, Boy Blunder has a crush on you. Now go get him. _

Wally paused a moment. His fingers had begun shaking about a minute ago and he blamed it on the cool sea breeze arcing over the pier. The sun was setting and the brilliant reds and yellows of the horizon were beginning to irritate his eyes again.

He knew that the next letter was his. He relocated again, settling on to a rock just outside the cave entrance before he looked back down at the page reluctantly and got back to reading.

_Dear Baywatch, _

_ As you probably know by now, my father is Sportsmaster_—

Wally frowned at the sentence, almost willing it to disappear. He did know, but not because he had been told. He had guessed several letters ago with simultaneous mentions of her dad, her family and the famed assassin that he was her father but that didn't mean he was particularly happy about it. His heart beat frantically in his chest as he continued reading.

_I had wanted to say that to you myself but obviously if you're reading this I was too late. You're probably really mad, I mean, because it's not like you have ever had a secret, right? I'm sure you're an entirely perfect human being who doesn't have to worry about ostracizing the only friends __you've ever made by telling them who __your father is. That was sarcasm in case you missed it._

_Just know that I wanted to tell you, I really did, because the truth is that I _lov- ___liked you _a lot___, Wally. I never told you because I was never sure if you liked me back. That and I couldn't afford to get attached to you, as you can probably understand seeing as I'm dead. Dead, dead, dead, dead, see? I've accepted it, albeit writing these letters helped _a lot_, but if I can accept my own death at the hands of my father then you can accept that my father is Sportsmaster. That's the least you can do for me._

_Also, just so you know, I really have no choice about this. My father wants to meet with me and I can only guess it's to divulge information about the League to him. I'm not going to tell him and he's going to kill me—even though I'm his daughter. That's just the way these things roll. And if I don't go? He's threatened to kill you, my mom, the team—even my sister and she's not only on his side but _pregnant_._

_I regret nothing Flash Boy; I enjoyed our little spats as much as you did. Arguing with you, hanging out with the team, training with Black Canary and going on covert Justice League missions? Whelp, they've been some of the best memories of my life, not that that's saying much, but still. Just know that some of my favorite moments have been with you. I'll miss _y- ___the team._

__Lov- _Sincerely, Artemis_

Wally was crying. He didn't even know why. Tiny tear drops were spilling from his eyes, dropping precariously on to the sheets of paper in his shaking hands.

Artemis liked him, maybe even loved him, and she was going to die.

_Like hell she is_, Wally thought, _not if I have anything to say about it_.

Wally wiped his eyes on to the sleeve of his shirt furiously, glancing on either side of himself just to be sure that no one had caught him crying.

Before he slid the paper in the manila envelope he saw one last note. It was short, only three lines, but the message was clear enough.

_Dear Dad,_

_Screw You._

_-Artemis_

Wally couldn't help but smile at that. It was so like her.

After Artemis' written confession Wally couldn't help but feel something stirring inside of him. To be honest, he'd known it was there for awhile but he'd been too nervous, too reluctant to admit to himself that he had feelings for the sarcastic, brutish archer so instead of admitting them he'd pushed those feelings aside.

He'd almost been too late. She'd almost died. He had almost lost his chance.

Wally scrambled off the rock, he'd been so occupied reading the letters that he'd entirely forgotten what time it was and when he looked up at the sky he could see stars just poking out of their hideaways among the heavens. Artemis would be going home soon. He had to hurry, which, fortunately, was one of his fortes.

His feet carried him inside Mt. Justice before he could even think through what he was going to say. He had to do _something_. He had to stop her. He had to prevent her death.

He went barreling in to the kitchen at a leisurely one hundred miles per hour and went crashing in to someone.

He fell backwards, the envelope falling from his hands as he looked up at the mane of long blonde hair that was draped across his legs.

Artemis scowled at him from her position on the floor.

"Nice one, Kid Clumsy," she growled, picking up her backpack from where it had fallen beside her, "What's the rush?"

Wally stared at her for a moment, drinking in the fact that she was _alive_. Reading the letters had almost made her death seem too _real_. He shook his head absentmindedly as he helped her to her feet.

"Uh, thanks Wally. Are you feeling okay?" Artemis inquired, seemingly shocked by his sudden generosity and general muteness until she spotted the thick manila envelope on the floor by his feet. "Wally, what the hell! You didn't read these did you?"

Artemis scooped the envelope up from the floor before Wally could say something and then stuffed it angrily in to the confines of her backpack.

She looked up at him innate fury staining her cheeks a dark shade of red that Wally had never seen on her before.

"Well?"

He nodded slowly, a pace that was frightening for him, and Artemis almost stormed past him. She bumped his shoulder as she made her way out of the kitchen, knocking him off balance for a fragment of a second before he caught her arm.

"Wait," Wally said hoarsely, "don't go."

"Why not, Wally?" Artemis demanded, "Is there no such thing as privacy anymore? I mean, _Jesus_, I guess you know all of my secrets now, huh? Are you proud of yourself, Wally? Are you real proud?"

She tried to wrestle her arm away from him but he was too fast, he caught her other arm and pushed her up against the cabinets, not to hurt her he only did it because it was the only way he could think of to restrain her.

She was glaring at him lividly, her cheeks flushed and her hair tumbling down his arm in a wave of warmth. He hardly cared that she looked ready to punch him in the nose; it was _his_ turn to be angry.

"You think that you can go and die and that these letters are going to make everything okay?" he hissed, "Do you really think that Robin and M'gann and Kaldur and Superboy are going to skim the few words you left behind and suddenly feel _okay_ about your death? A death that we can prevent—"

"You can't prevent it," Artemis interrupted, her eyes steely and upset, "There is nothing you can do to stop this, Wall-man. I'm in too deep as it is."

"So he's your father, why can't we help you?"

"_Because_ he's my father," Artemis yelled, "He knows how to hurt me and if I don't go to him then he's promised he'll hurt you guys in return. If I don't show up he'll kill my mother, my sister, the team—don't laugh. You'd be surprised the stuff he knows about you, and he didn't get the information from me either."

Wally was laughing bitterly, not because of the situation but because Artemis thought she was okay with this. She thought she was so tough and strong and that she could handle dying for them. _Well, news flash_, Wally thought cynically, _maybe we're not strong enough to watch her die. Did she ever think of that_?

"I know you're not the mole. You didn't have to tell me that," Wally said lightly, trying to ease the tension, "You're way too stupid. You'd never have been able to hide all of your mole-y activities from Bats and Rob."

Artemis scoffed, attempting to get out of his grip. She turned her head away slightly and he realized then how close they were. Maybe only ten inches apart. He could see her chest heaving with insecurity and he reminded himself not to go overboard.

Regretfully he released her, watching as she looked up at him in surprise.

"When is this thing happening?" Wally demanded, his eyes still holding her in place, "Between you and your dad, I mean."

Artemis looked away before reluctantly admitting, "Tonight."

Before she could protest Wally grabbed her arm and dragged her down to the lecture hall, intent on getting a hold of Bats, Rob and Green Arrow.

Like hell this thing was going down tonight.

"Wally, what are you doing?" Artemis demanded, struggling in his grasp.

Wally turned on her quietly, his feet never stopped moving as he looked at her and she was forced to run and stare in to his eyes simultaneously, a feat that she was surprised she managed.

"You wrote all about how much you care about us in those letters, Artemis. Well, don't you think it's time you let someone take care of _you?_"

After that Artemis didn't say a word. Silently she allowed Wally lead her to the lecture hall.

* * *

><p>Three days later Artemis sat cross legged in the living room of the cave. In front of her was the fireplace. Behind her was Wally. She held the manila envelope in her hand and Wally watched as she tossed it in to the flames. The fire licked malignantly at the stark white pages, melting away words that, after the events of the last few days, would never have to be read.<p>

Artemis didn't turn around but she knew that Wally was sitting on the couch behind her and she spoke up rather awkwardly, annoyed that the firelight with its incessant flickering almost made her want to cry.

"I never said thank you," she said quietly.

Wally heard her and got up. He sat beside her, careful not to sit too close but close enough that he could watch her face as she lifted an object from its perch on top of her head.

"These are yours," she said, handing him his goggles, "Sorry I never gave them back until now. I had Rob- Dick, hide them somewhere special and it took awhile to find them again. That and with everything else going on I kind of forgot."

Wally took the goggles in to his lap and fiddled nervously with the straps for awhile until he turned to the archer, a sudden fierce determination in his emerald eyes.

"You forgot something else too," he said.

She looked up, meeting his eyes for a moment before protesting, "What—"

Before she could finish Wally cut her off, his lips pressing against hers. For a moment they were still, their mouths warm and alien against one another until Wally or Artemis or both of them at once began to move again.

After a minute Artemis pulled away from him and stared up in to his eyes.

She hadn't been kidding when she'd written in the letter than she liked him and after he saved her life by forcing the entire league to bring her mother to safety and take down Sportsmaster, she was pretty sure that she loved him too, but it was his turn for confessions.

"Well?" she said teasingly, gesturing to the flames and the ashes that had once been a manila envelope, "Go ahead."

Wally sighed; months with Artemis allowed him to understand exactly what she was implying and he had a feeling that this wasn't the last time she would be taunting him like this.

He smiled a bit as he looked down at her snarky smile. He knew her well now, and he knew enough to see the minute amount of insecurity in her steely gray eyes.

Before he kissed her again he smiled and whispered against the firelight, "I love you too, Arty."

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><p><em>-_-" I'm so sorry for the fluffy ending, I tend to avoid those but here...I couldn't resist.<em>

_Please Review!_


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